The Rosendale Trestle is a 940-foot (290 m) continuous truss bridge and former railroad trestle in Rosendale in Ulster County, New York. Originally constructed by the Wallkill Valley Railroad to continue its rail line from New Paltz to Kingston, the bridge rises 150 feet (46 m) above Rondout Creek, spanning both Route 213 and the former Delaware and Hudson Canal. Construction began in 1870; when it opened to rail traffic on April 6, 1872, it was the highest span bridge in the United States. The trestle was rebuilt in 1895 by the King Bridge Company to address public concerns regarding its stability and sturdiness, and it was repeatedly reinforced until 1977, when Conrail closed the Wallkill Valley rail line. The bridge was sold in 1986 for one dollar to a private businessman who tried unsuccessfully to operate it as a bungee jumping platform, and a similar attempt was made the following decade. The trestle was seized by the county in 2009 for tax nonpayment, and renovated for the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail as a pedestrian walkway that opened on June 29, 2013.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosendale_Trestle

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1320:

The Declaration of Arbroath, a declaration of Scottish independence, was adopted. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Arbroath

1866:

The Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who had served in the American Civil War, was founded in Decatur, Illinois. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic

1896:

The first modern Olympic Games (official report pictured) opened in Athens, with 241 athletes from 14 nations participating in 43 events in nine disciplines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics

1941:

World War II: The Axis Powers began both Operation Marita and Directive no. 25, invading Greece and Yugoslavia, respectively. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Yugoslavia

2009:

A 6.3 Mw earthquake struck the region of Abruzzo in central Italy, killing 308 people and injuring more than 1,500 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L%27Aquila_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

facetious: 1. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humour; flippant. 2. Pleasantly humorous; jocular. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/facetious

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Sleep and death of the senses; tears and the death of the heart. Do you understand the progression? Sleep, though sad, is gentler than tears which, though painful, are gentler than death. Ecstasy is more delightful than song, which is gentler than work. Prayer is superior to dreaming which is more elevated than manual work.   --Gustave Moreau https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gustave_Moreau